Awakening from below transcends nature

אשה כי תזריע.

"When a woman conceives (tazria)" (Vayikra 12:2).

The Sefas Emes begins with the opening words of the parsha, which speak of conception, and will draw from them a lesson about spiritual initiative from below.

אחז"ל אשה מזרעת תחלה יולדת זכר.

Chazal said: when the woman emits seed first, she gives birth to a male (Berachos 60a).

Chazal teach that when the "lower" party initiates, the result is a "male" — a stronger, more enduring outcome. This becomes a model for spiritual awakening.

ובזוה"ק כד אתערותא דלתתא איתער בקדמיתא כו'.

And in the Zohar HaKadosh: when the awakening from below stirs first, etc.

The Zohar teaches that an "isarusa diltata" (awakening from below) draws down a corresponding response from Above. Human initiative opens the channel for heavenly bestowal.

וזה נתקיים בא"א ע"ה כמ"ש חז"ל אשר התהלכתי לפניו.

And this was fulfilled in Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him, as Chazal expounded on "before Whom I have walked" (Bereishis 24:40).

Avraham embodied this awakening from below — he "walked before" Hashem, taking the initiative and going ahead, rather than waiting to be led.

וזה רמז זריזין מקדימין למצות שמוכנים ומשתוקקין אל המצות.

And this is the hint of "the zealous hasten to mitzvos" (Pesachim 4a) — that they are ready and yearning for the mitzvos.

Zerizus (alacrity) is itself an awakening from below: the eager person does not merely fulfill a mitzvah but longs for it and rushes ahead toward it.

ולכן ניתן לא"א מצות מילה קודם מתן תורה מרוב השתוקקותו להתקרב אל הש."י.

Therefore the mitzvah of milah was given to Avraham Avinu before Mattan Torah, out of the greatness of his yearning to draw close to Hashem.

Because Avraham so intensely desired closeness to Hashem, he was granted milah ahead of time — his awakening from below earned him a mitzvah before the rest of Klal Yisrael received the Torah.

וכ' ומצאת את לבבו נאמן ואחז"ל ג' מציאות מצא הקב"ה.

And it is written, "And You found his heart faithful" (Nechemiah 9:8), and Chazal said: three "findings" did the Holy One, blessed be He, find.

The term "found" (matza) regarding Avraham hints at the idea of a "find." Chazal note three places where Hashem "found" something, and the Sefas Emes will explain what "finding" means here.

מציאה היא בהסח דעת ולכן בנח כ' מצא חן שהוא מצא בהסח הדעת שבא לו התעוררות הדעת מלמעלה.

A "find" comes when one's mind is diverted (b'hesech ha'daas); therefore by Noach it is written "found favor" (Bereishis 6:8) — that he "found" in a state of diverted attention, for the awakening of awareness came to him from Above.

Just as a person stumbles upon a "find" unexpectedly, Noach received an awakening from Above without having stirred himself first — the inspiration descended upon him, an isarusa dil'eila.

ובאברהם מצא הקב"ה כביכול בהסח הדעת.

And by Avraham, the Holy One, blessed be He, "found," as it were, in a state of diverted attention.

The roles are reversed: with Avraham, it is Hashem who "finds" unexpectedly — Avraham aroused himself from below, so Hashem encountered his ready, faithful heart like a precious find.

וכן הוא המדה שמשהה לצדיקים כדי שיתעוררו הם מעצמם.

And so is the way: He delays for the tzaddikim, so that they will awaken on their own.

Hashem holds back His help from tzaddikim precisely so that they will generate their own awakening from below, which is the more precious avodah.

ועליו כ' מי הקדימני ואשלם.

And about him it is written, "Who has preceded Me, that I should repay him?" (Iyov 41:3).

One who "precedes" Hashem with his own initiative is rewarded measure for measure — Avraham, who came first, merited Hashem's response.

וכן איתא במד' נשא.

And so it is brought in the Midrash on Naso.

The Sefas Emes notes that this teaching about "who has preceded Me" appears in the Midrash to Parshas Naso as well.

והנה סיום הפסוק מי הקדימני כו' תחת כל השמים לי הוא.

Now the end of the pasuk is: "Who has preceded Me… whatever is under all the heavens is Mine."

The verse continues that everything beneath the heavens belongs to Hashem — which seems to undercut the idea that anyone could "precede" Him.

והלא לה' אלקים השמים ושמי השמים ומה תחת כ"ה לי הוא.

But behold, "to Hashem your God belong the heavens and the heavens of the heavens" (Devarim 10:14) — so what is added by "whatever is under the heavens is Mine"?

If even the highest heavens are Hashem's, why does the verse specify only what is "under the heavens"? This implies a deliberate distinction.

אבל הרמז כי אין חדש תחת השמש ולכן א"א לאדם להקדימו בשום עובדא כי כל המעשים בהכנות הבורא שכבר הכין לו.

Rather, the hint is: "there is nothing new under the sun" (Koheles 1:9), and therefore a person cannot precede Him in any deed, for all deeds are within the Creator's preparations that He has already prepared for him.

Within the natural order ("under the sun"), nothing is truly new — everything is already set up by Hashem, so a person there cannot genuinely "precede" Him; he only acts within pre-arranged channels.

אבל מי שיש לו כח למעלה מן השמים כמ"ש באברהם הבט נא השמימה ואחז"ל שהעלהו למעלה מכיפת הרקיע הוא יכול להמשיך דרך חדש לעולם.

But one who has power above the heavens — as it is said of Avraham, "Look now toward the heavens" (Bereishis 15:5), and Chazal said that He raised him above the vault of the firmament — he can draw a new path into the world.

Avraham was lifted above the natural order, above the stars. From that vantage, beyond "under the sun," he could introduce genuine newness — a fresh channel of avodah not predetermined by nature.

וזה מצות המילה בשמיני שהוא למעלה מן הטבע.

And this is the mitzvah of milah on the eighth day, which is above nature.

Seven represents the natural week and natural order; "eight" reaches beyond it. Bris milah on the eighth day expresses this power to transcend the fixed bounds of nature.

כמ"ש מי יעלה לנו השמימה.

As it is written, "Who shall ascend for us to the heavens?" (Devarim 30:12) — whose final letters spell "milah."

Chazal note that the closing letters of these words spell "milah," hinting that bris milah is the very means by which a person ascends heavenward, above nature.

ולכן נק' אדם הגדול בענקים ועליו נאמר לבבתני כו' באחד ענק.

Therefore he is called "the great man among the giants (anakim)" (Yehoshua 14:15), and about him it is said, "You have captured My heart… with one bead (anak) of your necklace" (Shir HaShirim 4:9).

Avraham is the "great man among the anakim" — towering spiritually. The wordplay on "anak" links his greatness to the verse of beloved closeness, showing how he "captured" Hashem's heart through his lofty stature.

כמו הענקים שמעניקין חמה בקומתן כמו כן א"א נתעלה למעלה מן החמה.

Just as the giants "tower over the sun" with their height, so too Avraham Avinu was elevated above the sun.

The "anakim" are imagined as so tall they overtop the sun; Avraham, spiritually, rose above the sun — that is, above the entire natural order symbolized by "under the sun."

ובזה נתקיים משפיל גאים עדי ארץ.

And through this was fulfilled "He lowers the haughty to the ground."

Avraham's true greatness — rooted in humility — sets up the contrast with the arrogant beings whom Hashem brings down low.

דהיינו הנפילים שהיו מלאכים אדירים ולפי שנתגאו משפילם עדי ארץ.

That is, the Nefilim, who were mighty angels, and because they grew haughty He lowered them to the ground.

The fallen angels (Nefilim) were originally exalted, but their arrogance caused Hashem to cast them down — pride leads to descent.

וא"א ע"ה שאמר ואנכי עפר ואפר מגביה שפלים עדי מרום.

But Avraham Avinu, who said "and I am dust and ashes" (Bereishis 18:27) — "He raises the lowly to the heights."

Avraham's humility is the inverse of the angels' pride. Precisely because he saw himself as dust and ashes, Hashem lifted him to the greatest heights, above the heavens.

וזה הכח נשאר לכל בנ"י כמ"ש במד' כה יהי' זרעך שבירך אותו הקב"ה שכל צאצאיו יהיו כמותו.

And this power remains for all of Bnei Yisrael, as it says in the Midrash on "so shall be your offspring" (Bereishis 15:5) — that the Holy One, blessed be He, blessed him that all his descendants would be like him.

Avraham's capacity to rise above nature was bequeathed to his children. The blessing "so shall be your offspring" means that every Jew inherits this power to transcend the natural order.

ובוודאי יתקיים ברכת ה' ועתיד כל איש ישראל להיות כאברהם.

And surely the blessing of Hashem will be fulfilled, and every Jew is destined to become like Avraham.

The Sefas Emes affirms with certainty that Hashem's blessing must come true — ultimately every member of Bnei Yisrael will reach the level of Avraham.

ומילה עדות ע"ז כמ"ש ועמך כולם צדיקים:

And milah is testimony to this, as it is written, "And your people are all tzaddikim" (Yeshayahu 60:21).

The bris milah sealed in every Jew's flesh is the standing testimony that this potential is real — that ultimately "your people are all tzaddikim," each able to rise like Avraham above nature.

Summary: Building on "isarusa diltata," the awakening from below, the Sefas Emes shows that Avraham's intense yearning made him one who "preceded" Hashem and merited milah before Mattan Torah. Within nature ("under the sun") nothing is new, but Avraham was raised above the heavens and could draw a genuinely new path into the world — embodied in bris milah on the eighth day, which transcends nature. Through his humility he was lifted to the heights, and this power is the inheritance of every Jew, who is destined to become like Avraham, with milah as its eternal testimony.